Licking

[kirbydog]

Kirby licks my daughter all the time. It is hard to have in the house together, because he follows her around and licks her face all the time. After a while she gets really frustrated and starts to cry. I am trying to get him away from her without making them enemies. In the long run he most of the time keeps left outside, because it is too hard to handle two "babies" at once. My daughter is one and kirby is six months. Any ideas why he could be doing that and how to redirect this?

[sas]

It's puppy behaviour, some do it more than others and some don't do it at all.

In an adult human I'd say put the 'Stop Chew' spray on yourself but I don't think that's a good idea for a baby.

Puppies shouldn't be repremanded for the licking, it's a good thing, can you redirect to an everlasting treat ball that requires them to lick them?

[vic2010]

Does your daughter give the pup attention when he licks her? Just a thought but he could be continuously licking her to try to get her to give him a pat or attention.

I think its a good thing. Much better the pup licking her than the pup biting or acting aggressively toward her.

Try getting one of his favourite toys to distract him or try getting him to sit to try to break it up and get his attention back on you.

[Falling_dawn]

my puppy Lucy does this with my daughter it like Lucy thinks my daughteris a puppy too with advice from others I told her to say "no more" and push her gentlly away and if that does not work yell once really high pitch (like a puppy does when they have had enough) and stand up and get on the couch ( lucy too small and cant get up there) this works and lucy stop's the rough playand settles for a cuddle but my daughter is 4 1/2 so she can do this with 1 year old no idea other then supervise and take her away when it become's too much

[freundhund]

Okay, my suggestion having had indoor dogs and 3 children is a wooden playpen.

Don't reel back in horror, you can pop Lucy in the play pen for a short time to get her away from your daughter, and you can also pop your daughter in the playpen at times as well to get her away from Lucy but they can still be close to one another to encourage their relationship.

The play pen also can be used for things like "ironing" you place yourself and the ironing board in the playpen so that neither Lucy or your daughter can get to the iron and get burnt. At a later stage when your child/ren are older, old playpens can be used to protect precious plants.

I know it is difficult but the other thing is to use the distraction technic on Lucy, feed her smaller portions and use food in a Kong to distract her, or some special toy that she ontly gets to play with for a short time, then you take it away again so that it becomes prized. Another think is clicker training can also be effective. I know it is hard at this time with your daughter just starting to crawl, but believe me once she starts to walk a lot of this licking behaviour will settle down.

Bascially, Lucy does also see your daughter at this age as a fellow puppy, the licking is a way of encouraging your daughter to play with her.

Hopefully you will gain some help and assistance from the suggestions

Kindest Regards

[Cosmolo]

You need to be vary careful about correcting a behaviour with a child that the dog considers to be a friendly interaction- even if we don't like it. Kirby needs some training on the how to's of interacting with a child, not just the no don't do that's. Putting him outside (while i understand may be necesray at times) won't curb the behaviour and is likely to see it escalate as you're never able to show him what to do.

[kirbydog]

You need to be vary careful about correcting a behaviour with a child that the dog considers to be a friendly interaction- even if we don't like it. Kirby needs some training on the how to's of interacting with a child, not just the no don't do that's. Putting him outside (while i understand may be necesray at times) won't curb the behaviour and is likely to see it escalate as you're never able to show him what to do.

Thanks for that! We really do not try to yell at him or say no all the time. But when you have a baby and a pup all I seem to do is say "no" all the time. Can anyone relate to that feeling? I encourage encounters between Kirby and my daughter under my supervision. Whether is toy exchange. She gives it to him and than then takes it back. And I also ensure that he does not get enough and reacts aggressiv. So far he has been really good with her, but at times it becomes a handfull. But I would appreciate some more tips on how to encourage the right behaviour with my daughter. He is a lover but a bit boysterous at times so we have crying incidents. Thanks!

[Falling_dawn]

Okay, my suggestion having had indoor dogs and 3 children is a wooden playpen.

Don't reel back in horror, you can pop Lucy in the play pen for a short time to get her away from your daughter, and you can also pop your daughter in the playpen at times as well to get her away from Lucy but they can still be close to one another to encourage their relationship.

The play pen also can be used for things like "ironing" you place yourself and the ironing board in the playpen so that neither Lucy or your daughter can get to the iron and get burnt. At a later stage when your child/ren are older, old playpens can be used to protect precious plants.

I know it is difficult but the other thing is to use the distraction technic on Lucy, feed her smaller portions and use food in a Kong to distract her, or some special toy that she ontly gets to play with for a short time, then you take it away again so that it becomes prized. Another think is clicker training can also be effective. I know it is hard at this time with your daughter just starting to crawl, but believe me once she starts to walk a lot of this licking behaviour will settle down.

Bascially, Lucy does also see your daughter at this age as a fellow puppy, the licking is a way of encouraging your daughter to play with her.

Hopefully you will gain some help and assistance from the suggestions

Kindest Regards

thanks for your Suggestion but we are not asking advice ( my dog is Lucy ) I belive it was kirbydog her dogs name is Kirby

Edited June 6, 2007 by Falling_dawn

[Falling_dawn]

I fully simpathise with feeling like your saying "NO" all day and the toy thing yep simpathise with you there too its like have another child onlly with really sharp teeth that can jump